Global cholera deaths up 126%, Stockpile of cholera vaccine depleted
Global cholera deaths up 126%, Stockpile of cholera vaccine depleted
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports a global cumulative total of 439,724 cholera cases and 3432 deaths through the first nine months of 2024.
The bulk of the cases, nearly 95 percent of cases, were reported from the Eastern Mediterranean and African regions.
Although the number of cases in 2024 is 16% lower than last year, the 126% spike in deaths is deeply concerning, WHO notes. Africa saw the most deaths with 2268.
UN officials continue: The increase in mortality may partly be attributed to the specific locations of these outbreaks, which include conflict-affected areas where access to healthcare is severely compromised, regions experiencing massive flooding that has damaged critical infrastructure, and areas with inadequate medical facilities. These challenges are particularly pronounced in rural and remote regions, where delays in accessing treatment are common due to poor infrastructure and limited healthcare resources.
Individual countries reporting the most cases include Afghanistan (143,327), Pakistan (60,369), Yemen (36,404), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (25,221) and Ethiopia (23,931).
Haiti reported the most cases in the Americas (9,630) and India in Southeast Asia with (6,506).
Zambia reported the most deaths with 637, followed by Sudan with 622.
As of 14 October 2024, the global Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) stockpile has been entirely depleted, with no doses currently available for deployment.
Global vaccine production is operating at full capacity, but the demand continues to outpace supply.
Although more doses are expected in the coming weeks, this shortage poses significant challenges to outbreak response efforts and hampers efforts to control the spread of the disease.